Suez and Beyond
by AstraphU
Summary: Formerly a short story Battle of Suez, turned into a short cycle inspired by Summer 2017 event in Kancolle. Includes another short story - Ashes of Port Said.
1. Battle of Suez

"Damn them! Why those idiots can't give up?!"

Kasumi's AA guns shot in short bursts, downing a pair of Abyssal floaters. So-called Hawks - distinguished by their single eye and a pair of actual wings - exploded among black clouds of flak, destroyer's guns aided by dual-purpose secondary batteries of Myokou-class cruisers.

"Kasumi, Shigure, move into position and prepare your torpedoes. We'll have only one chance to take this monster down! Go!"

"Roger that"

Two destroyers broke away from Ashigara and accelerated, moving in a wide arc to circle the Abyssal princess. The cruiser glanced over her shoulder; a few hundred metres behind them, Haguro and Myokou baited two Ru-class battleships to a game of cat and mouse, very much alike she and Nachi did during operation Hikari. Massive, hulking monsters were unable to keep up with more agile cruisers, who kept circling with impunity. Without destroyers to screen them, the behemoths were practically helpless once they lost the advantage of range.

Shame the situation in the front of them didn't look as good.

"DIE!" Yelled Nagato, her guns shaking the seas with a deafening roar. A hail of heavy shells struck its target - but once the flames and dust settled, it became apparent how little effect did it have.

" _Persistent...insects…_ " muttered the Princess, a sickly yellow glow in her eyes firing up. She charged at Nagato, her own turrets opening fire. The flagship dodged, barely avoiding the blow - and their secondary guns came to life, lighter shells pecking their massive riggings.

"Nagato-san!"

Fusou sped by the Abyssal battleship, her salvos blocked by the Abyssal's familiars; black monstrosities coiled around the Princess, absorbing shells and dampening explosions. A thin plate of their metal was enough to make Ru-class a formidable opponent; full-scale constructs made of it shrugged barrages that would blow regular targets into atoms.

" _Leave!_ "

One of those beings suddenly springed towards Fusou, slashing the battleship with its razor-sharp tail. The force of the impact threw the girl into the air; she landed several meters away, her outfit torn and rigging damaged. One turret fell out of its barbette, a massive anvil sinking in a blink of an eye.

* * *

Shigure was the first to realize they got spotted. When the Princess' gaze followed Fusou-san's flight, it did not stop at the spot where she crashed back into the water; instead, it moved on, finally falling upon the young destroyer.

"Kasumi-chan, take ev-"

But it was too late; a massive explosion blossomed between them, the woosh of incoming shell reaching their ears a split of second too late. She heard a series of rapid explosions coming from the other side of the geyser; she felt her heart skip a beat.

"I'm fine!" Kasumi's voice sounded from behind the collapsing curtain. "But my torpedoes are gone! I had to jettison all launchers! I'll kill that whore!"

"No!" Shigure blocked Kasumi's way "Look at Fusou-san! How are we supposed to even scratch this thing without our torpedoes?!"

"I don't care!" Kasumi tried to push her away. "I can't let this stupid admiral…"

She stopped in her tracks, eyes suddenly growing wide. Shigure turned to see what shocked her friend - and felt her jaw drop.

The Victory Divison sprung into action.

* * *

"Looks like it's all up to us, nee-chan"

She wasn't the one to smile without a good reason. But this time, she just couldn't help it. The whole situation was so eerily similar - yet so different at the same time. The battle. The Princess. Only the stakes were different.

"Yeah" nodded Ashigara.

"Let's do this" she patted her sister's arm one more time and set her boots to flank speed. The distance between her and the Princess shrank rapidly. Behind her, she could have felt Ashigara's burning passion breathing down her back. Soon, two sisters charged side by side.

This was their twentieth foray into the Suez harbour. Morale was on the brink of breaking. They were all exhausted. The admiral was slowly losing hope. Even Jun'you started agreeing with Fusou's dark predictions. This vicious circle had to finally come to an end. And it was their job to see it done.

Nagato noticed their approach and struck the Princess with all her might. A concentrated barrage ripped a chunk off a black snake's body. Mutilated, the creature flailed and trashed, thick ichor spraying all around the battling shipgirls. The second serpent shot a salvo and lashed towards Nagato - but the flagship was prepared. Shells exploded harmlessly on her turret's frontal armour. She then struck the creature mid-air, her fist impacting black metal with a sickening crunch. Her guns converged on the target again, loading mechanism finished the cycle…

...and nine guns roared with fury, drowning Nagato's battlecry. A ball of fire engulfed the battleships, an inhuman shriek piercing the fading explosion.

Wailing and screeching like a banshee, the princess launched a savage counterattack. Her remaining familiar lashed and whipped at Nagato, helping the Abyssal finally overcome the flagship's defense. Grabbing her by the throat, the princess effortlessly lifted the Nagato into air. Seething fury burned in her lone remaining eye, her breathing was laboured and rasp. She tightened the grasp, savouring the feeling of Nagato's throat slowly giving in, cartilage weak and feeble against her grip…

"Now, nee-chan!"

Ashigara's salvo hit the Princess' arm, making her let go of Nagato. The Hungry Wolf avoided collision in last moment possible - but not before launching her torpedoes.

The first hit just as Nagato managed to crawl away to safe distance. The Princess' mount cracked in half, the black serpent a fraction of second too late to take the blow. Two more explosions made the Abyssal finally lose her balance; she fell to the water but did not tumble over. Instead, she moved on, reaching out towards Ashigara in her rage…

Blinding her to the final blow.

At full speed, Nachi slammed into the Princess. The impact was much more painful to the cruiser than to the Abyssal - but it made the monster turn its gaze away from Ashigara and meet the unexpected assiliant's eyes. Without her mount, without her constructs protecting her, with her face blown and mutilated, the Princess looked almost pitiful.

Almost.

As the final salvo echoed throughout the hot, African air, the headless corpse hit the waves. A rain of oily droplets fell upon Nachi's face and uniform, tainting them with a constellation of black pockmarks. The greedy abyss quickly consumed its daughter, leaving only silence behind.


	2. Ashes of Port Said

They thought Suez was devastated by the Abyssal occupation. They thought ivory-white constructs left along the port's shoreline and completely annihilated cityscape were the worst that could have happened. They thought signs of mass panic, population's desperate exodus and subsequent massacre of those unable to flee were the most horrifying thing they would see during the whole campaign in the west.

Once they crossed the canal and reached Port Said at its northern mouth, they realized how wrong they have been.

Standing on the command ship's bridge, admiral Okada watched the razed city with fearful awe. Not a single building remained intact. Streets, shoreline, breakwaters - all was covered with sticky ichor, slowly dissolving in scorching heat. Deeper into the land fires burned, spitting thickets of black smoke. The worst thing however were the survivors. Crawling out from devastated cellars, climbing up piles of rubble, they were more rat- than humanlike. Starving. Sick. Crippled. Some bore signs of Abyssal infestation - black carbuncles of infected tissue and white, bony implants. Their eyes were empty, devoid of hope. The putrid stench of death and decay overpowered every other, creeping down the lungs, suffocating with every breath.

Not even Kaga could have kept her calm seeing the scene. Eyes wide and hands trembling, she watched the dreadful landscape on both sides of the canal. Her knuckles turned snow white from the force she used to grip the railing with. Somebody was sobbing on lower decks, the voice clearly audible in deadly silence surrounding them.

"Absolutely disgusting" admiral Stein turned towards Okada, his face a tight mask. "Port Said. Alexandria. Beirut. All the same. The Abyssals fought for those cities like rabid dogs. You had it light in the south. That princess decided to meet you in the field"

"What is the survivor rate?" Okada barely managed to spit those words, fighting against a knot tying his throat.

"Fifteen percent alive. No fucking idea how many will survive infestation. Unlike your Taiyou or our Scharnhorst, we can't just dose regular people in repair liquid"

"What exactly happened?" asked Kaga, her voice just barely louder than a whisper.

"There were two princesses in the area. One in Alexandria and second one here. Once we engaged the first line of defence, they both retreated into their respective cities with more mobile Abyssals tagging along. Ta-class. Ri-class. Plunderer-class. Some other types we only now obtained fragments for analysis. Once we had broken through their fleet and cleared the basin of mines, we realized the ugly part was still in front of us"

He paused for a minute, examining the landscape. Finally, he pointed towards a gaping hole in the cityscape, where a towering pillar of smoke and flames reached towards the skies. Even with surrounding inferno, that particular spot seemed unsettingly hellish.

"You see that point? That's where we finally got her. I tried calling in dive bombers. Orlov proposed lending us nuke-carrying Tupolevs. Hell, even I heard talks about procuring a permission from the UN to deploy a Nova. Some higher-ups decided all those remaining in the cities are lost souls. Fucking. _disgusting_ "

"But ultimately you managed to pin her down?" Okada asked.

"Yeah. Took half a division of heavy land equipment and two cruisers, but we did it. I just hope Nurnberg and Scheer did not suffer in their last moments"

"You... lost two shipgirls?"

"Yes, _frau_ Kaga. Actually, it was Scheer who detonated her ammo stash, finally taking the injured bitch down. Told you it wasn't pretty"

They left the port's harbour, heading towards the allied fleet anchored in the vicinity. Throughout the whole rest of the cruise, nobody spoke a word - except for a short exchange between Stein and Scharnhorst when the latter climbed up the bridge with some report to present. Okada and Kaga kept their thoughts to themselves, pondering on the images of descruction and carnage they just witnessed. The aura of pain and suffering emanating from Port Said was substantial, almost literally tainting their hearts and souls. Their recent battle for Seuz, as brutal and ruthless at it seemed, paled in comparison.

And to their west, just beyond the horizon, Okada could have sworn that the air pulsated in an irregular rhythm, a reddish haze of Abyssal influence beating like a deformed, eldritch heart. What horrors lied there, beyond the narrow patch of sea where his fleet finally met up with their European allies? If Stein reacted to Port Said's obliteration with such relative calm... what atrocities did he saw on his way here? Could Odessa, Varna and Istanbul be in similar shape?

His thoughts were interrupted by a small motorboat bumping into the command ship's side. Two European shipgirls he could not recognize accompanied the boat as escorts.

"Looks like it's time for me to return" Stein said slowly, shaking some stray thoughts off his head. "Talk to you on Fleetcord. And mark my words - we're not even halfway there. This whole thing will be ugly like nothing we've seen yet"

"Yeah..." was all Okada could have mustered, as his German counterpart descended a ladder to rejoin his fleet.


	3. Seed of the Abyss

The cramped workshop onboard the command ship _Stormkeeper_ was but an imitation of the workshop she had on Raiushima - but it was the most Yuubari could have hoped for. Plus, with proper work organization, that small workbench and a handful of tools were more than sufficient for all the tinkering that made up the majority of her past time. Adjusting gunsights, experimenting with new gunpowder mixes, optimizing devices that run the miniature variant of repair docks integrated into _Stormkeeper_ 's facilities - with a bit of creativity, limited space was not a problem, regardless of the task at hand. Notes could be scribbled on the walls. Tools stashed in other girl's quarters (the real challenge being remembering _which_ girl agreed to keep _which_ toolbox). Simple, smaller projects were quite a pleasant change of pace after weeks of intensive preparations before the campaign started. Especially once they passed Ri Lanka and she finally got access to foreign technology. Some pieces actually more than just _foreign_...

She turned the tiny trinket in her fingers, taking another close look through a loupe. It was no larger than a chestnut - a milky-white stone, embraced by a fine skeleton of bony filaments. At first glance, it could have passed for some piece of slightly extravagant jewelry - but at least three facts could easily disprove such claim:

First, the stone was barely processed; it looked more like a random piece of amber washed ashore, rather than something worth being integrated into an actual ornament.

Second, the delicate webbing it was enclosed in seemed far to… random to be of artificial origin. It resembled a cross between some malformed skeleton and a cocoon weaved of coral. Just as if it was designed to protect the stone, rather than just serve an aesthetic purpose.

And third, it was recovered from the debris left by the Bastille Princess after the battle of Suez. Spotted among countless bits and scraps by Kamikaze's eyes, it was initially discarded by Akashi as yet another unidentified piece of Abyssal garment - but Yuubari's hunch said otherwise. Taking into account extensive damage taken by the Princess, no piece of clothing or ornamentation should have remained this unscathed. So, once all the wounded had been tended for and damaged equipment fixed, she dug the trinket out of the salvage box - and started her little 'project'.

In the relative silence of her tiny workshop (bar the constant low hum of engines and the chatter coming from inside the improvised docks across the wall), she spent two fruitless evenings. Chipping off a bit of the skeletal frame only dulled her tools. Dipping in acid or applying blowtorch didn't cause any apparent effects. Extensive comparison with the whole database of elements salvaged from the Abyssals all over the world also did not produce any meaningful resutls. The enigmatic stone mocked her, its mat surface effortlessly hiding all clues regarding its origins or purpose.

"Daaaaamn!" she stretched her body, joints cracking with a most satisfying sound. She put the trinket back on the brightly lit (and overcrowded) workbench in front of her. After a short hesitation, she decided to take a short break and headed towards the mess.

At this late hour the corridors were empty; with their transit towards Cyprus uneventful, most girls either stayed in their quarters, regaining strength after the dreadful battle of Suez, or were outside, enjoying the exotic Mediterranean air. She didn't expect to meet anyone in the mess - yet to her surprise, she saw a dark-haired shipgirl seated behind the table, a steaming mug in her hands filling the air with a sweet, fruity scent.

"Hi" Yuubari greeted her on her way to the coffee machine. "Not upstairs?"

"It's getting late, I'll be soon heading to sleep" Yahagi took a sip. "Besides, the admiral ordered morning exercises with Tone and Mogami. I need to be fresh before the dawn cames"

"Not that you can have a good sleep in here" Yuubari tapped the machine as it started pouring the black liquid into her mug. "Can't even stretch my legs in the workshop properly. And before I actually start jogging, I run out of deck"

"At least we are not too tall" smiled Yahagi. "Just remember how Nagato-san has to hunch down every tim-"

Suddenly an alarm blared into life. Lights dimmed, only red emergency ones remaining alit.

"Attention everyone!" Kasumi's agitated voice crackled through the speakers. "Abyssal airstrike incoming! All guns at the ready, crew get ahold of something!"

"Well, shit" muttered Yuubari before leaving the half-made coffee and sprinting off, back to the workshop.

The airstrike itself was more fear than actual threat. First bombs exploded just as Yuubari reached the workshop. Metal walls shook with the force of detonation - but it sounded distant, a complete miss. She heard the wave crash against the ship's side, accompanied by anti-air guns' rhythmic thumps. Another explosion was closer - splinters rapped against steel plating and the deck got swept from under her feet as the ship rode another wave. An instant reaction prevented her from slamming face-first into anything sharp or hard (which would mean basically everything in that room) - but a barely audible rattle of small, metal things falling onto the deck made her rush to the rescue as soon as the ship stabilized.

She heard a third and fourth bomb hit somewhere in the distance; she crawled on all fours, picking up bolts, nuts and all the small stuff she left not secured. Unable to locate the Abyssal trinket among the elements gave her a small panic attack. Having only red emergency lights as a source of illumination, she spent a good minute or so crawling around the small room, feeling the floor and nooks around her - until she noticed something totally unexpected.

A faint, blueish gleam emanated from underneath the workbench. She reached for it - and surely enough, her fingers met the familiar, smooth surface of the Abyssal jewel. When she picked it up, the glow dimmed, disappearing as soon as she moved it away from its resting place.

Intrigued, Yuubari grabbed a flashlight. A beam of bright light fell upon the place the trinket had landed; a tightly locked metal box laid there, a litany of safety warnings and indications covering its side.

"Hm…" she bit her lip, even curiosity spiking to new heights.

* * *

Akashi leaned against the wall, arms crossed and a puzzled look at her face.

"Care to repeat? I'm not sure if I got you right..."

"Aka-chan!" Yuubari was as agitated as impatient. "It's just as I'm saying! This thing - whatever it is - somehow reacted with our summoning equipment. When it gets close to our devices, it lights up and shines. I tried with radios, radar, sonar, everything that emanates one field or another, and nothing - only summoning equipment causes the reaction"

"And your theory is…?"

"Gosh!" she threw her arms in the air, more and more irritated. "This thing might be a catalyst of sorts! Like the one the admiral gave you before you brought Kaga to the fleet! If we set up the summoning ring and use the standard procedure…"

"Hold on! You want to summon a… an abyssal princess here?!"

"Yes! No! I mean, yes! But not the princess, I mean her real self! Before she became an Abyssal!"

"Melon-chan" Akashi shook her head. "No can do. The admiral would never approve of such experiment! Not here, so far from the base! If anything happens to the _Stormkeeper_ …"

"...then you know all too well how to fix her, right Aka-chan?" Yuubari barged mid-sentence with a sly smile. "And the admiral gave us free hand in researching Abyssal technology right? No need to ask him for permission. And if the new girl starts acting strange... I already spoke with Nachi-san, she agreed to aid us in the test..."

"...us…?"

"...and besides c'mon, you can't fool me" she pulled out the Abyssal trinket out of her trousers' pocket and held it in front of Akashi's eyes. "You want to check this out as much as I do. The only difference is I don't have your patience to wait until we return to Raiushima. And besides, I _do_ have my own access cards, you know?"

For a moment Akashi stood still, her mouth opened, yet retort stuck somewhere between her throat and the air. Then she just sighed, hunching in resignation.

"You're gonna use the facility regardless?"

"Yup"

"So why even bother asking?"

"Because we're both engineers and curious about this little thing"

Another moment of silence lasted for a short eternity.

"...you sly, little…"

"Love you too" chuckled Yuubari, her scoundrel's smile brighter than the sun.

* * *

Again, compared to the one from Raiushima, the _Stormkeeper_ 's construction pool was much smaller. Barely sufficient to fit a shipgirl laying inside, its chamber was squeezed between the machinery room and docks. It felt cramped and claustrophobic. When working alone, Akashi already had problems fitting herself and the equipment comfortably inside - and the presence of three people at the same time made it feel just insanely crowded.

The procedure they followed was a variation of the standard one; the trinket - shining like a small lantern at that point, with all the equipment producing interweaved fields - was put inside the pool, along with required resources. All the summoning devices were set up in the appropriate pattern around and calibrated by the fairies - and then a massive metal shell was lowered, enclosing the pool as it was filled with construction liquid. The control console in the corner beeped and chirped, monitoring the process, while fairies kept bustling around the pool, adjusting and controlling the devices itself. From within, a loud hiss of dissolving bauxite could have been heard.

Nachi paced the room, her swift step easily finding a way among the machinery occupying the limited space. Eyes at the steel dome and gun at the ready, she kept her vigil in silence. Her thoughts wandered around the experiment. As insane and risky as it sounded, Yuubari's idea was… intriguing.

She thought of the shard of Abyssal matter locked beneath the dome. Countless questions swirled in her head, each begging for an answer. Could that little thing contain at least one of them? Could it bring her closer to understanding her own story? From understanding stems knowledge - as she liked to say. And understanding that shard, the story it held, meant gaining knowledge about the foe. And by extension, about themselves.

Hours passed slowly, Nachi's silence accompanied by occasional comment by Akashi or Yuubari. Suddenly, the capacitators on top of the dome lit up. Singular sparks shot from their endings, followed by actual arcs of electricity jumping between them, branching out mid-air to lick the dome lightning rods installed in the ceiling.

"We have an energy spike!"

Nachi slid her hand-held turret into combat position, fingers gripping the trigger and barrels aimed at the dome. Akashi and Yuubari rushed for the console.

"The surge is roughly the same as with Nagato…"

"Anomalies?"

"None, but readings are just barely on the scale…"

She listened to the technobabble with one ear, most of her attention focused on the dome. The engineers manipulated the controls, exchanging agitated comments and orders - and after a while, the discharge ended, leaving the sharp scent of ozone in the air. The dome slowly rose up, hot steam adding the distinct, metallic scent of vapourized resources. Pumps came to life, draining the remaining liquid out of the pool with a sickening slurp.

Inside, curled up in fetal position, laid a girl. Her pale skin, covered with a thin film left by the construction fluid, was just barely darker than an Abyssal's - but its smooth surface lacked any sign of infestation. She coughed and spasmed, lungs expelling thick blobs of greenish liquid. Muscles twitched and contracted, as her newly restored nervous system took control over the body. Eyes fluttered, pale irises trying to accommodate to the chamber's dim light. Her long, blonde hair was an ungodly mess, soaked and clumped together by the same thing that covered her whole body. Next to her, half-submerged in remnants of the construction fluid, laid the trinket - dead once again, its white core no longer shining.

Nachi let out a sigh of relief and lowered her gun. The helpless figure below turned her head towards the cruiser, trying to focus her sight. She breathed heavily, air forcefully brought into her lungs for the first time.

The irony of the situation suddenly struck Nachi. To be the last thing the Abyssal saw was no novelty. To be the first thing the same Abyssal saw after rebirth... That was a different story.

"Welcome again" she said, not sure if the ex-Abyssal could understand - or even just hear - her.

Behind her back Yuubari and Akashi let out an excited exclamation - and quickly pushed the cruiser from their way, rushing to assist the newborn shipgirl.


	4. Queenslayers

" **PATHETIC** "

The battleship princess' voice got drowned in the deafening roar of her golem's cannons. Concentric shockwaves spread on the water surface around her, the sheer force of detonation shattering those few windows lucky enough to remain in the ruined dockyard. All shipgirls made a quick zig-zag to get away from the impact zone.

All except one.

A damaged Ryuusei took a half second too long to stop on the flight deck. Storage spell took half a second too long to transfer the plane back to the quiver. Kaga tried to make a dash to the side half a second too late.

A monstrous explosion consumed the carrier, splinters and metal debris dispersing all around ground zero. A secondary detonation followed, with a smaller fireball erupting from the primary one. Bombs and torpedoes were thrown into the air from as the flames consumed magazines storing them. Warheads exploding mid-air like oversized firecrackers. Standing closest to the flagship, Hiryuu got slammed against the embankment by the shockwave, withered concrete crumbling as the stunned shipgirl slid onto the water. Her pained scream echoed across the harbour.

But Kaga did not stir.

Eyes wide with fury, Akagi and Souryuu turned against the Abyssal Queen, their bows firing arrow after an arrow in an impossibly quick succession. Planes spawned mid-air, most of them already trailing smoke, some with holes in their wings and fuselages.

" **ARE YOU EVEN TRYING?** " the Queen chortled mockingly, her guns easily stalling the wave of carriers' counterattack. Stingrays circled in air, creating a grotesque halo around the white figure, protecting her from anything that got past the flak screen.

" **HOW CAN YOU BE SO FOOLISH?** "

Akagi tried covering Kaga from another salvo, but her exhausted body gave in mid-way; she lost balance and collapsed on her knees. Abyssal shells ripped the surface just next to the flagship; the injured body got thrown into the air, accompanied by a mocking, vicious laughter.

As the dust settled, the Queen took slow, steady strides towards the defeated carriers. She unsheathed her sword, its silvery blade gleaming in sparse rays of sun that broke through the thick veil of clouds covering the skies. Souryuu - the only one still capable of standing upright - blocked the Abyssal's way, arms spread in a defiant gesture.

"I won't let you!"

The Queen tilted her head, an expression of playful surprise on her face.

" **YOU MAY TRY** "

Souryuu shut her eyes, doing her best not to flinch. The world came to a stop, darkness under her eyelids filled with sounds; Akagi's sobbing, Hiryuu's laboured breath, the Queen's vicious giggle. Powerless, she felt her consciousness shrink to a single point of boundless fear and panic.

And then two blades clashed.

She opened her eyes, only to see Kiso's back in front of her and the cruiser's sword blocking the Queen's blow.

"Don't ya let yourself get killed!" the girl groaned through clenched teeth, as the Queen's sheer might slowly overpowered her defence. "Get outta here! NOW!"

She didn't have to say twice; the carrier scrambled back, helping Hiryuu stand up, as Akagi lifted Kaga's body from the surface. They managed to get to safe distance just before Kiso had to give in. The cruiser disengaged, jumping back to keep distance from the Queen.

" **WELL, WELL, WELL… IMPRESSIVE** "

Behind the Abyssal's back, the battleship princess fought off two other cruisers; Ooi and Kitakami circled around the monstrous duo, their guns unable to dent its thick skin - but Abyssal's own turrets equally unable to track their movement.

But the Queen's attention got diverted elsewhere, away from three battling ships. Away from crippled carriers and their lone defender. It focused on a single battleship that apparently led the shipgirls' daring charge.

" **SO THE SCOUTS WERE RIGHT. THE DRYLANDERS SPARED YOU** "

" _Oui_ " Richelieu took battle stance. "And I am here to make sure you won't hurt anyone else"

" **THEY TURNED YOU. YOU GAVE UP PERFECTION IN THE NAME OF… THIS** " she shot a disgusted look at the battered carriers, scowling at the sight of Akagi embracing Kaga's lifeless body. She then turned back to Richelieu, her gaze resting on the milky pendant on the battleship's neck.

" **AND YET I SEE YOU DID NOT DISCARD YOUR HERITAGE COMPLETELY… SISTER** "

Her voice changed; still inhuman and vibrating, it now carried an almost caring tone. The Queen's face softened, her arm extended in a welcoming gesture towards Richelieu.

" **MY PRODIGAL SISTER... YOU CAN STILL COME BACK. THE ABYSS LONGS FOR YOU. YOUR PLACE IS HERE, WITH US. NOT AMONG DRYLANDERS AND THEIR PUPPETS** "

Richelieu's eyes went out of focus. She opened her mouth - but any response died in her throat. The memories of the days spent alongside that monster - _her Queen_ \- were jumbled and chaotic, but _vivid_. Was joining - _being enslaved by_ \- the drylanders really her own will? _Of course not_.

The Queen's voice became distant… _yet more familiar than anything the drylanders and their shipgirls could offer_. She saw her grin - _smile_ _gently, inviting her back to her rightful place. Back to the Abyss. Back home…_

...home…?

Her body took a step on its own, driven by the part of her psyche she didn't even realize still existed. _By her true self._

 _Her_ _rightful self took another step. No drylander shall ever be her master anymore._ _She ignored a distant shout from behind. All that mattered was her Queen. And she beckoned. She had to comp-_

She forced her body to turn, to glance over her shoulder. Her sight fell on Akagi. Pearly tears dropped on Kaga's unmoving face, washing the dust and dry blood away. The fallen shipgirl twitched for the first time since getting hit. Akagi's embrace tightened, prompting a weak groan of pain.

She stopped in her tracks, using all willpower to resist. _She must obey_. She cannot. She cannot betray her comrades. _Drylanders' puppets_. _They must be destroyed. She must listen to the Quee-_

"NO!"

She tried to train her guns at the Queen. One turret spontaneously blazed with fire, the salvo missing its target completely and ripping apart a stack of containers on the shore.

"GET OUT OF MY HEAD! GET OUT!"

Clutching her head and trembling, Richelieu fell to her knees. She screamed and trashed, her voice breaking into uncontrollable screams of pain and fury. Above her, the Queen smiled triumphantly.

" **ONE WAY OR ANOTHER, YOU WILL RETURN** "

Her gloat died in the second an ear-splitting mixture of explosion and agonal scream shook the docks.

* * *

"Now!"

Three cruisers zoomed past the crumbling battleship's hulk. Its legs blown off by torpedoes, the Ru-class started sinking helplessly. The Queen looked over her shoulder, realizing all too late she was open for strike.

"Kitakamis, move into position while I-"

Kiso's orders were cut short by a salvo slamming into her front; a short scream escaped her lungs, as the shockwave sent her flying several metres behind. Ooi and Kitakami barely spared a second to register this; they knew their task all too well.

" **YOU ARE SURE AS PERSISTENT AS YOU ARE PITIFUL** "

Both cruisers and the Queen exchanged a barrage, explosions lighting up the dockyard. Torpedoes fell into the water, forcing the Abyssal to make a desperate dodge. Kitakami and Ooi split up, encircling their foe. The Queen might have lacked battleship's thick armour - but her skill and intelligence made up for it more than enough. She waited with her salvo until Ooi steadied her course just before launching torpedoes - and then unleashed a powerful blast. Unable to close the opening, the cruiser was sent flying, slamming into the concrete wall behind her much like Hiryuu had been before.

" **AND YOU?** " mocked the Queen, setting her sights on Kitakami. For a brief second, the cruiser's eyes were wide and mouth agape - but she quickly regained composure.

"You, um… made a mistake"

She didn't even take time to aim; her guns rose up in a blink of an eye, shells slamming into the Queen's face. Before the Abyssal could have reacted, torpedoes were already in the water - each launcher turned to a bit different direction, minimizing the enemy's chances for escape. A scream of pain confirmed Kitakami's measures to be effective.

" **YOU-!** "

"Quiet"

Propelled with improbable speed, the cruiser circled around the target, another salvo hitting the Queen's back. The circle getting tighter, Kitakami returned to the Abyssal's front, putting shells directly into her face. Blinded and severely wounded, the Queen's counterstrike hit the void, while Kitakami made one last round, back behind the disorientated foe.

A sickening, wet crunch accompanied Kiso's blade erupting from the Queen's chest. She let out a surprised shriek, while Kitakami pushed the sword down with all her strength, cutting through the Abyssal's body for a few more centimetres. The blade ground to a halt against the Abyssal's spine. Black ichor erupted from the gash, tainting Kitakami's uniform and face. Her lungs and heart torn and sliced, the Queen's voice died abruptly, as her twitching body went limp and lifeless.

"Told ya" Kitamaki sighed, releasing the blade and letting the dead Abyssal fall to the surface.

In front of her, Richelieu rose her head, the immense pressure on her mind finally easing. She tried to focus her bloodshot eyes on the scene, relief and pain racing to fill in the void left by the Queen's presence.


	5. The Vote

Richelieu remembered little.

She barely heard the raging battle around her; everything was drowned in Queen's voice, invading her mind and tying down thoughts with puppet's strings. The explosion that cut the whisper short seemed to come from afar as well; and the void left behind was quickly flooded by pain and agony. The Abyssal inside writhed and spasmed, its connection to the Queen broken.

And then came the darkness.

She awoke in a small room, flooded with burning, white light. She jerked her hand to cover eyes from the glare - only to register a sharp pain in her wrist and shoulder. Bobbing her head to the side, she saw metal bands clasped around the arm, pinning her down to the cold wall behind. Her other arm and both legs were immobilized in a similar fashion. A smooth metal collar rubbed against her skin every time she looked around, some cold protrusions pressing against her arteries. Only a thin strap of cloth hanging on her thighs and a tight bandage on her chest gave her any semblance of dignity.

While far from the agony she felt when facing the Queen, her whole body was sore and stiff. Large patches of skin on her back itched and ached like old burns. The constant throb in her temples only made the whole ordeal worse.

" _A-miral_?" she asked weakly, her throat dry and coarse - but no answer came. She was alone in that cell, for the first time in her life in complete silence.

Soon, her mind drifted into a dreamless sleep, leaving pained body behind. And then she woke again, only to slip back into oblivion some time later. And the cycle repeated, suspended in a timeless void. And again.

And again.

* * *

"...and this is my proposition. Let us discuss all for and against, and conclude the vote as soon as possible"

Silence fell upon the Staff, ringing inside the small room like a bell. Okada was sitting behind his desk, chin resting on backs of his tented hands. Shipgirls exchanged looks - some shocked, some confused, some terrified.

A projector displayed a looped video on the wall behind the admiral; shaky and of poor quality, the feed taken from Souryuu's camera showed the image of Richelieu leading the charge against the Queen - only to suddenly stop in her tracks, make a step towards the Abyssal, and deteriorate into a shaking, incapable mess of a battleship in a span of few seconds. The cruisers' intervention saved the day - but even then only barely.

To his right, Kaga rummaged through a pile of notes and printouts in front of her, silently re-readng paragraphs from Souryuu and Kitakami's report. She then moved on to Akashi and Yuubari's analysis of the incident's footage. Behind her, Suzukaze and Hibiki exchanged hushed whispers. To his left, three other shipgirls watched the recording for the hundredth time, each with a completely different expression; Ashigara with a furious disgust, Fusou having a face of sadness and Hiei covering her mouth, eyes wide in absolute terror. He noticed she jolted back in the very same moment each loop - when bony Abyssal protrusions erupted from Richelieu's back.

He waited for that moment to come again before speaking up:

"I understand this is the hardest decision we have to make so far. But it is the safety of Raiushima that is at stake. And by extension, the whole shipgirl corps'"

"Admiral" Suzukaze rose her hand "But didn't ya say Richelieu-san got cured? Plus, Taiyou-chan's been an Abyssal as well, and she's perfectly fine"

"Kasuga Maru had a very weak connection to the Abyss to begin with" Okada hunched forward even more, watching Kaga with the corner of his eye. "But yes, Richelieu is a pure shipgirl now. Just like she was back then, before the battle"

"What do you mean, admiral?" Fusou's voice lacked its usual dreamy undertone.

"That the Queen managed to corrupt Richelieu back to her Abyssal form - or at least initiate the process - in a way very similar to the one Akashi used to purify Kasuga Maru. We do not know if this is a one-time occurrence or if there are more Princesses and Queens out there possessing this ability. What I believe, is that the whole Abyssal restoration project might be a great risk to the Fleet"

"Everything's a risk, dammit!" Ashigara slammed her fist at the table. "We will never win against those monsters if we start taking steps back! She is our comrade, Okada, and if we-"

"There is a difference between an Abyssal armada on open waters, and a rogue Abyssal ravaging our base from the inside, is it not, Ashigara? I think of all people here, you-"

"That situation was completely different!" The Wolf jumped to her feet. "Don't you dare-"

"Anyway..." Okada ignored Ashigara's further outburst "...we need to make a decision. And we do not have a luxury of having time to debate on this. In ten hours, the _Stormkeeper_ will be mooring in London - and that is the deadline. We cannot risk a transcontinental journey back to Raiushima with this situation unresolved. Nor can we afford any of this to be known to people outside this room, whatever our decision would be"

"You are not going to inform the rest of the Fleet, commander?"

"No, Hibiki-chan. The Fleet's morale would be devastated. Not to mention Taiyou would also be affected greatly, if indirectly. The official version would be that Richelieu succumbed to her wounds shortly after recovery from London docks"

He allowed one last minute of silence, before rising his hand.

"Therefore I, Okada Arashi, commander of the Raiushima base, hereby announce a vote on how to proceed with Richelieu and her fate. I never thought this day would come - but I hereby propose terminating Richelieu's life, in hopes that we can properly summon her in the future, free of Abyssal taint"

He spat those words out, a bile of self disgust building up in his throat. The long, sleepless night of doubt and conflict came back like a dark, suffocating flood. After Hikari, he swore never to lose any of them, never to put his shipgirl - his comrades - at harm. But this also meant that the good of the base, of the whole Fleet, had to take precedence over individual cases. And Richelieu was, without doubt, a great risk. After the Pearl Archipelago campaign he knew all too well how devastating can a loose Abyssal be. And he was sure so did everyone else.

"I am against" Ashigara leaned back, crossing her arms. "Richelieu-san is one of us, ex-Abyssal, gaijin or whatever else"

"I am for" Fusou spoke silently, her voice trembling. "Richelieu-dono suffered a lot during that battle and I trust Akashi-san and Yuubari-san will find a way to bring her back in less... unfortunate circumstances"

"I-I abstain" Hiei looked as if she just woke up from a nightmare. "I mean, I can't decide here! **We** can't!"

"So do I. I abstain" Hibiki pulled her hat over her eyes and pushed her chair away from the table, hiding behind Suzukaze.

"Against!" the other destroyer bolted up, her face red with anger. "We would never leave our nakama behind, admiral!"

Two for, two aganst, two abstained.

Okada looked at the last member of the Staff - only to meet her intense gaze. Amber eyes burnt with inner fire, one nobody would expect from Kaga - unless one happened to look at them in such a moment. He knew the Flagship understood the risks. He knew she also understood what that meant for her little 'daughter'. And he knew above all else that Kaga was the only person onboard the _Stormkeeper_ who always had her priorities straight, regardless of personal opinions.

And she did cast her vote accordingly.

* * *

There was a couple of rooms onboard the command ship that would strike a random visitor as unexpected. Akashi's workshop, with all the less-than-rational magical accessories and small bunkbeds for fairies was one fine example. Sixth Destroyer Division's quarters, its walls painted with bright colours and with Inazuma's drawings hanging on the walls, also didn't fit the image of a modern military vessel.

Another such room laid on the second lowest deck, behind a reinforced, titanium door. The chamber itself was small; if anyone looked at the plans, he might easily miss it, a small square crammed between the ship's structural compartments. But the amount of security it sported was astonishing; from double digital locks on the outside, to a set of separately powered electromagnets designed to keep the door shut against all odds - the room was virtually impenetrable from both sides.

Okada descended down the ladder and followed the corridor leading to that particular room. His steps echoed against bare walls, LED panels' sharp light adding an unearthly feel to the whole scene.

"Commander"

"At ease, Nachi" he returned the salute to the lone shipgirl guarding the door. "Any incidents?"

"Absolute silence"

"Good" he nodded, pulling his access card out. "I hope this is your last shift"

"You know I don't really mind"

"But Ashigara-san keeps complaining your curry gets cold before she gets down here"

"That's my nee-chan" Nachi let out a single chuckle, a faint ripple of humour disturbing the otherwise straight face.

"Alright" Okada swiped his card and input the code, while Nachi did the same with the other device. A series of clicks came out of the doorframe - and the massive slab of metal moved half an inch, released from the electromagnetic grip holding it in place.

* * *

Waves crashed against the Rock, as the _Stormkeeper_ docked in the newly reclaimed British base. The weather was cloudy, a dark mass swirling on the northern horizon.

" _Amiral_?"

"What is it, Richelieu?"

" _Vous-etez sur_ you want me to participate in the final operation? Shouldn't someone... more experienced join the main squadron?"

"I have full trust and confidence in our fleet. You have been there, know more about the Queen than any of us. You are the only one of us who saw her face to face. Am I correct?"

Richelieu reached for a pendant at her neck, touching a milky white gem at its heart.

" _Oui. C'est vrai_ "

"We need your knowledge about her weakness. And don't worry - Kaga, Ashigara and Nachi will be there as well. If things go sideways, they know how to neutralize any Abyssal threat, regardless of its source" He finished the sentence slowly, eyes fixed on Richelieu's gem. "I don't think I need to remind you about that"

The French battleship shuddered, her grip on the trinket suddenly tightening.

" _Non, amiral_ "

* * *

A series of clicks stirred Richelieu from her slumber. Her tired eyes had trouble adjusting - but she finally made out two people enter the room. The white-clad admiral and a tall, slender figure in purple uniform. The latter took station in the corner of the cell, a small gun in her hand and eyes trained on the battleship. Her gaze showed no malice - but its vigilant sharpness made Richelieu shudder despite restrains and the pain they caused.

The admiral stood in the entrance, his eyes lowered and hat's rim obscuring his face.

" _Amiral..._?" croaked Richelieu, words barely leaving her throat.

"I am sorry for all this" Okada spoke silently. "You did your best in London. And you deserve better than... this" he rose his head and gestured around the cell. With the haze slowly dispersing as her eyes adjusted, Richelieu could have seen black bags under the admiral's eyes and deep wrinkles of an exhausted man lining his forehead.

He gestured at the guard, who obediently pointed her weapon down. Then he walked up to Richelieu and started unlocking the cuffs. As the last came off the collar - and to her horror, Richelieu noticed miniature shaped charges lining the metal band. With a shudder, she realized how little would have been left of her head, should they had been ignited.

"Bring some water, Nachi. I will explain everything to her"

The cruiser nodded and exited the cell, leaving the admiral and Richelieu alone.

She stood stunned as the events unfolded, her mind still dulled by the pain and isolation. Why was she here? What had happened?

She finally managed to articulate all this in a proper question. Then Okada replied. In great detail, he spoke as Nachi returned with a bottle of delicious, fresh liquid. He continued while she downed the whole litre in mere seconds. And she listened, her wrecked mind trying to piece together all those sentences being said.

The realization was like a flood of terror drowning all other thoughts.

"I... I turned back?"

"You started. We are working on learning what exactly happened - but as for now, the only answer we have is that the Queen somehow gained control over your actions"

"And... did you really..."

"Yes. I came here just after the Staff made the decision on that matter"

Half a minute of silence followed, as the admiral struggled with some invisible force gripping his throat. When he spoke again, his voice was no longer just sad and silent; it trembled.

"The vote for your termination has not passed. I cannot tell you the details... but I admit I was the one to propose it in the first place. As well as the one to order your incarceration. I-I am deeply sorry, Richelieu. All I can offer now is an apology" he said, bowing down in a pleading gesture.

The girl swayed in place, her weakened legs barely holding her upright. Only Nachi's support prevented her for falling to the floor. The world was spinning. She… she could not believe what she just heard. That was… impossible.

" _J-j'accepte_ " she muttered what the admiral was clearly expecting. The relief of being unchained flushed the adrenaline rush away - and her body started giving up in a blink of an eye. The room spun around and sped up, as darkness creept up from the corner of her vision. Two pairs of arms caught her on her way into the abyss - and the void consumed the last of beam of the light.


End file.
